Shellfish harvesting is closed after pollution washes into N.J. waters after nor'easter

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerA file photo of Sandy Hook Bay. Shellfish harvesting has been closed by officials after the weekend nor'easter washed in pollution.About 27,800 acres of Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, the Navesink River and the Shrewsbury River have been closed to shellfish harvesting because of pollution that washed in during the weekend nor’easter.

The Department of Environmental Protection said the temporary closure is necessary "to protect public health from the adverse water quality effects" from the weekend’s torrential rains.

Bacteria levels are exceeding national criteria for safe harvesting of shellfish, according to the DEP, which will continue to monitor the waterways to determine when it will be safe to re-open the region for fishermen.

The impacted waterways are primarily used by commercial harvesters who bring their hauls of clams, oysters and mussels to market, but also are used by recreational fishermen.

Molluskan shellfish, which pass estuary waters through their systems, are highly susceptible to contaminated waters. Clams, for example, pump seawater through their digestive system to obtain nutrients and filter out tiny organisms. In the process, they also can take in bacteria, viruses, and chemicals, concentrating these contaminants in their bodies at much higher levels than found in the surrounding waters, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration.

The potential health risks of eating raw shellfish, according to the FDA, are related to the quality of water from which they are harvested as well as the sanitation and temperature control maintained after they are harvested.